Now that Spring Holiday has been completed, most seniors at our local high schools have turned their focus on graduation. All Volusia County high schools will have graduation at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach.
Here are the dates and times for the high schools located in West Volusia: DeLand High at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 21; Deltona High at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 25; Pine Ridge High in Deltona at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 25; Taylor Middle-High in Pierson at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 26; University High in Orange City at noon Sunday, May 26; and Volusia Online Learning at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 23.
Volusia Online Learning is now accepting applications for full-time enrollment for the 2024-25 school year. Apply by going to www.volusiaonlinelearning.com. For more information, call 386-506-0014.
Dual enrollment at Daytona State College is currently taking place, with a deadline of Friday, May 31. Now is the time to apply, take placement tests and complete new student advising. Visit https://www.daytonastate.edu/DE for details and steps. To attend an information session, go to https://bit.ly/3LQvEP4. To attend an open house go to https://bit/ly/DSC-FutureFalcon.
Volusia County Schools have been awarded the Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) by the NAMM Foundation. The award recognizes and celebrates school districts and schools for their support and commitment to music education and their efforts to ensure access to music for all students as part of a well-rounded education.
The Family Empowerment Scholarship – Educational Options (FES-EO) Program was established to enhance Florida’s menu of educational options. It provides Florida families with the opportunity to select the school that best meets their student’s needs and enables them to reach their academic goals.
The FES-EO Program provides eligible students a scholarship to attend a private school selected by the parent. A student is eligible for FES-EO if the student is a resident of Florida and is eligible to enroll in kindergarten through grade 12 in public school in this state. For priority program participation standards, a list of eligible schools and application information, go to www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/k-12-scholarship-programs.
Lyonia Environmental Center has announced summer nature-camp registration, which opened April 1. Camp will be 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, June 3-Aug. 7. Lyonia Environmental Center is at 2150 Eustace Ave. in Deltona.
Campers will go on guided nature hikes, encounter live animals up close, get creative with arts and crafts, participate in science experiments and more.
There are five-day camps for different age groups, with special activities for each group. There is also a three-day camp for ages 7-12.
For more information about cost or activities or to register, call Shari Smith, education coordinator, at 386-789-7207, ext. 21026, or email her at ssmith@volusia.org.
Volusia Languages Festival winners
Students who took first place in the Volusia County World Languages Festival who are in the classes of Akpedje Day at DeLand High School are Kate Budzinski, Jayne Alexandre, Tania Baker, Noelle Blasingame, Audrey Brown, Rain Bruk, Braden Disinger, Grace Ellis, Nicole Gatlin, Tatianna Gonzales, Riley Kellogg, Hamilton Lapides, Becky Lin, Harper Lowell, Maria Matos, Beatrice Meckley, Isabella Qu, Mia Rogers and Oleksandra Volodina.
Grad Bash
DeLand High School will have its Grad Bash on Saturday, April 20, with the bus leaving at 1 p.m. sharp. Don’t forget your driver’s license or student ID. Pickup and parking will be in the parking lot off of Plymouth Avenue.
Deltona High and University High Grad Bashes will take place Friday, April 26.
Timbercrest Elementary School
Two employees at Timbercrest Elementary School in Deltona have received their service pins: Kristy Kuches, who earned a 30-year pin, and Olga Kosar, earning a 35-year service pin.
DeLand Middle School
DeLand Middle School has honored Pete DiMuro, who will retire after 38 years of dedicated coaching, teaching and inspiring future scientists and athletes. His quote of “There is no substitute for hard work” will hang in the Terrier gym.
Along with honoring him, the first Pete DiMuro Athletic Scholarships were presented to Andrew Cameron and Gavin Brown.
DeLand High School
Students Mia Portillo and Hayley Luznar, representing the DeLand High School FFA, took first and second places, respectively, in the Beef Champion of Champions Program at the 2024 Florida State Fair. Numerous other Bulldog FFA members placed at the State Fair, which this column will go over in coming weeks.
Lightning Bolt Track Club
The DeLand Lightning Bolt Track Club, a youth track program, will present the Long Live Coach Deke Track Meet on Saturday, April 20, on the DeLand High School track. The event begins at 7 a.m., and tickets will cost $10. The meet is named after Deke Harris, the former coach and developer of the Lightning Bolt Program, who passed away a couple of years ago.
Five Star Conference track championships
The Five Star Conference track and field championships took place at Flagler Palm Coast, with the Mainland boys and the Spruce Creek girls claiming titles. The DeLand boys were third, while Pine Ridge was sixth, University ninth and Deltona 10th. The University girls were third, with DeLand claiming fourth, Deltona ninth and Pine Ridge 10th.
The DeLand Bulldog athletes claiming first-place finishes were Connor York in the 3,200 at 10:23.31, Anna Vandell in the high jump at 5 feet, 3.75 inches, Kylie Neira in the pole vault at 12 feet, 1.50 inches, and Emily Lamb in the javelin at 95 feet, 6 inches. Those taking second were Lamb in the discus and Michael Mandell in the 800.
Those also scoring points in the meet for DeLand were Marceles Carey (3), Jesse Pack (2), Frederick McCaskill (2), Nalin Rogers, Chico Apakama (2), Jamil Cunningham (2), Javon Ross, Xavier Caraballo, Hiram Cook, Luke Dyer, Diego De La Vega, Noah Ennabili, Mandell, C. York, Antonio Williams (2) Owen York (2), Owen Smith, Addison Leonard, Sydney Bordeaux, Kadence Bell, Savannah Hatfield, Shamia Allen (2) and Sierra West.
Those taking first for University High were Nyrania Barr-Miller in the 100 high hurdles at 15 feet, 11 inches, while those gaining second were Barr-Miller in the 200 and the 400, and Hannah Judge, Morgan Harvill, Veronica Meyer and Hailey Theodore in the 4X8 relays.
Those also scoring in places three through eight were Cato Stuart (2), Mason Brown (2), Payton Rosamilia, Anthony Labron (2), Morvyan Darley, Ray’mon Hunter, Keaton Lyons, Roman Arcaro, Aasen Watson, Logan Fowler, Ryan Ntankeh, Judge (3), Harvill, Kayla Benjamin, Alena Betancourt, Jayla Perdue, Whitney Bass and Morgan Northey (2).
The Pine Ridge athletes taking second were Elijah Thompson in the 100 and 200, Quintin Grant, Caleb Ray, Ethan White and Thompson in the 4X1 relay, and Serenity Gorham, Thalia Rius-Diaz, Destiny Passmore and Kenziya Williams in the girls 4X1 relay.
Other athletes scoring points were White (2), Tyler Haywood, Nicholas Williams, Ramon Castro, Recolon Jumpp, Rolan Yagual, Ruben Smith and Kheron Duprat.
Deltona High found Carlos Cerrud winning the 1600 at 4:37.0, while other athletes who scored points were Cerrud, Allen Baldwin, Andrew Hutton, Al Pena, Angel Santiago, Lailani Greene, Khalema Christopher, Za’Auna Cockfield, Mia Fernandez and Tatianna Greene.
DeLand High School Athletics
The DeLand High School Bulldog tennis team stopped Deltona, 6-1, while the Lady Bulldogs won by the same score.
The Lady Bulldog softball team lost to Taylor Middle-High, 8-2, with Amya Ramos hitting a home run for the winners.
The DHS baseball team won one and lost one, as they lost to Flagler Palm Coast, 3-1, but bounced back to stop Orangewood Christian, 9-6.
The DHS beach volleyball team lost two, as Hagerty shut them out, 5-0, and Montverde Academy won, 3.2.
The DeLand flag-football team was on the short end of the score with Seabreeze, 6-0.
The DHS spring sports calendar has the softball team hosting Deltona Trinity Christian at 4:30 p.m., while the beach volleyball team has Senior Night against Atlantic at 4:30 p.m., and the baseball team enters the Five Star Tournament, all on Thursday, April 18.
Monday, April 22, places the DeLand baseball team at Conrad Park at 7 p.m. against University, while the beach volleyball team enters FHSAA district play.
On Tuesday, April 23, the softball team competes at Deltona at 6 p.m., and on Thursday, April 25, the baseball team plays at Jacksonville Creekside at 6:30 p.m.
Stetson University
Stetson University has been named one of the Top 50 programs for game design in the country by The Princeton Review for the third year in a row. Stetson was selected for the No. 43 spot among undergraduate programs for 2024, based on the quality of academics, faculty and game-design labs, as well as career outcomes for graduates. Colleges were in America, Canada, and some countries abroad.
Stetson University Athletics
Stetson University has named Ricky Ray as the new director of athletics with the retirement of Jeff Altier, who has been in the position for 27 years. Ray comes from William and Mary, and will start the job Monday, May 6.
The Hatter baseball team topped USF, 19-9, with Lorenzo Meola and Brandon Hylton hitting homers. The team then topped Kennesaw State, 8-7, with Isaiah Barkett going four for five at the plate, while hitting the full cycle. Hylton and Evan Griffis hit four-baggers. They then lost to Kennesaw State, 4-3.
The tennis program found the men losing to Eastern Kentucky, 5-2, while the women won, 6-1.
The Lady Hatter softball team lost three, as they faced No. 10 Florida, losing, 8-0, then Eastern Kentucky, 6-2 and 7-6, with Lath Freeman hitting a home run in the last game.
The Stetson lacrosse team lost to Lindenwood, 24-11, with Jordyn Humphrey collecting four goals.
The beach volleyball team played four matches, losing to No. 8 LSU, 4-1, topping No. 15 Georgia State, 3-2, and downing Florida Gulf Coast, 3-2, and Southern Mississippi, 3-2.
Saturday, April 20, sends the softball team to FGCU for two games, at 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., and a third game Sunday, April 21, at 11 a.m. On Wednesday, April 24, they return home to face FIU at 3 p.m.
Friday, April 19, sends the baseball team to North Florida for three games over the weekend. The game on the 19th is at 6 p.m., the game Saturday, April 20, at 4 p.m., and the game Sunday, April 21, at 1 p.m. Then on Tuesday, April 23, the Hats go to Gainesville for a game with the Gators at 6 p.m.
The minor-sports home games are closing out their season, while on Friday, April 19, the men’s and women’s tennis teams will play host to the ASUN Tournament, while the beach volleyball team faces FAU at 9 a.m. and North Florida at 2 p.m.
Sunday, April 21, sends the men’s golf team to the ASUN Championships.
On Wednesday, April 24, the beach volleyball team will play host to the ASUN Tournament.
— Send school news to Tony Tussing via email: at flacoach43@hotmail.com.
